What is Christmas?
by The most beautiful of lies
Summary: Gajeel has never really celebrated Christmas...Trapped in the guild hall due to an upcoming storm, he tries to figure out it's meaning. Finally finding it with the help of his favourite little bookworm..


The metallic scent in the air was enough to keep most of the mages of Fairy Tail indoors of their guild hall. Snow was in the air, just waiting to fall from the angry grey clouds above. Winter was coming...and with it, trials and tribulations for the mages of Fairy Tail. Stuck indoors, fights broke out daily, more often then not involved around Natsu Dragneel and Grey Fullbuster. Even now behind him, Gajeel could hear the pot becoming ready to boil over.

"Stripper!"

"Fire breath!"

"I saw you looking at Lucy, pervert!"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, I was just asking how your honeymoon was!"

With a sigh, Gajeel picked up special cup of molten metal – his version of hot chocolate Mirajane had specially made for him – and went to sit down closer to the fire. Usually he wasn't one to complain about the weather but this bitter cold froze the metal studs all over his body, to the point where some days it hurt like hell, froze so much it felt like it was burning! As if it had a mind of it's own, the metal on his body began to sting and the dragon slayer rubbed at it irritably, grunting as he dropped himself onto the couch.

Doing his best to ignore the fighting going on behind him, Gajeel let his gaze settle on the fire place in front of him. Absently, dark eyes wondered over the reds and greens, blues and purples, silvers and golds...all of this flashiness, the decorated tree – Never Melt ice-make decorations thanks to Grey - garland and popcorn on a string, candy canes, little symbols of Fairy Tail, Christmas balls, lights – and that's just the tree! The whole guild had lights strung around the roof, the request board, the bar...solid lights, blinking lights, little santas that danced and sung Christmas carols popular from all over Fiore...!

Even the most of the mages themselves dressed up, he'd noticed.

Lucy was dressed as "Mrs. Claus" a short skirt with fake white fur around the edges, a long sleeved tight fitted shirt with a low cut collar, also white around the flared out sleeves and neck. On her feet were knee high boots with bells by the ankles. Her mate and husband, Natsu was dressed in much the same as he usually wore but his sandles were replaced with black mid-shin boots, loose fitting red pants, black belt with a silver buckle and his vest was red with white fake fur around the edges. When the newly weds first arrived, he'd had on a Santa hat and a fake beard, now lost in the fight with Grey. Grey – much to Gajeel's slight amusement, he could use this later as blackmail! - was wearing a reindeer outfit, brown pants, shirt, shoes and gloves with antlers on his head, a little tail attached to his belt and his nose painted red – all of it was tossed aside when the fight started...all over Grey asking about how Lucy and Natsu's honeymoon was – and Natsu laughing hysterically over Grey's Christmas tree boxers. Ever his shadow, Juvia Lockser was off to the side with Lucy, dressed much the same as the blonde celestial mage, with one major difference. The outfits were exactly the same in look, but in colour, Juvia's was a rich shade of blue, fake elf ears covering her own, jingle bells on her wrists.

_This is ridiculous! I'm so bored I'm actually paying attention to everyone's stupid get ups for Christmas! _

Now, Gajeel wasn't a Scrooge, nor did he particularly dislike Christmas! He just didn't fully understand it's purpose. Having been curious about it when the decorations first came out, he'd sought out various members of the guild and asked them about it. With Mitallicana, he'd never celebrated Christmas. December twenty-fifth was just another day on the calender, since then, he'd never really cared. That was...until he and Levy had started to get closer. Levy had casually mentioned she loved this time of year and that made Gajeel very curious as to why she would get that cute little smile and whimsical look in her eyes when she talked of it. What's so great about a fat really old man breaking into our house and instead of stealing anything, he left evidence behind! When Levy had first told him of the tradition, Gajeel had made a mental note to seal off his fire place – and hers! At least until he'd caught this pervert...

When he'd asked around about the meaning of Christmas, the answers he was given varied so much, it only confused the dragon slayer more! So many answers! Family, presents, stockings, Christmas trees, the joy of giving, to strangers, to loved ones, spiking the eggnog and getting drunk – guess who said that! - so many varied answers, he wasn't sure what to do! The one thing that stood out however was the answer that Levy gave him...

When Gajeel approached the bookworm about the meaning of Christmas, she'd sat him down and gathered all the books she'd had of Christmas stories. So many of them! One where this green guy hated Christmas then all of a sudden his heart exploded – Levy did explain it didn't actually explode but Gajeel liked his ending better! - one where an old man was visited by ghosts and taught the true meaning of Christmas...even one where this guy was going to jump off a bridge only to be talked down by an angel and shown what life would be like if he left! Thanks to Gajeel's enquiring mind, he landed stuck here on the couch in Fairy Tail with his guild mates. Bored out of his skull and freezing half to death!

If he'd had his way, he'd be with a certain bluenette in front of a fire in his own home, none of this Christmas nonsense! Looking around once more, Gajeel saw Lucy waving him over, Natsu at her side grinning like a Cheshire cat. Now, normally he would've left the Bunny Girl alone, but Levy was there and the look on her face had him worried. Levy was dressed much like her friends, though in difference, her outfit was white, a thin golden band around her head in place of her usual headband...wings attached to her back.

_She's like an angel..._

The metal dragon slayer couldn't stop the thought that popped into his mind...nor really did he think he wanted to. As he slowly made his way over to his friends, eyes focused on Levy, the solid script mage and dragon slayer both missed Natsu's subtle gesture, the flash of blue and the grin on Lucy's face, now matching that of her husband. As Gajeel stood in front of Levy, the whole of Fairy Tail seemed to hold it's breath, as if waiting. Ignoring them, Gajeel looked around, trying to find the cause of the worried and slightly scared look on Levy's face. Just as he looked up and saw the mistletoe toe held by Happy, Levy's tiny arms wrapped around his neck, his automatically going around her to hold her up. Clueless, Gajeel was caught by surprise when Levy pressed her lips to his, stealing his breath with a kiss...

As their guild erupted in applause around them, Gajeel held his tiny angel close, feeling warmth spread through him as he kissed her back. Ignoring the catcalls and yowls, he set Levy down and looked into her sweet and smiling face. As she smiled back at him, her cheeks shaded with a gentle blush, Gajeel couldn't help but think that he'd found the answer he was looking for. Love.

In the arms of his little bookworm, his Levy, Gajeel finally found the true meaning of Christmas...


End file.
